Pacer Advisors Inc. Acquires Shares of 115,111 Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN)

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors Inc. has acquired a new stake in Willdan Group, purchasing 115,111 shares valued at approximately $4.69 million, representing 0.79% of the firm’s total shares by the end of the last quarter.
• Several institutional investors have significantly increased their investments in Willdan Group, with notable rises including a 136% increase by Nuveen Asset Management and a 358% increase by Deutsche Bank AG during the recent quarters.
• Willdan Group’s shares recently traded at $83.42, with a market capitalization of about $1.21 billion and a P/E ratio of 49.36, reflecting strong overall market performance.

Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 115,111 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $4,687,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.79% of Willdan Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Willdan Group by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 751,985 shares of the construction company's stock worth $28,643,000 after purchasing an additional 50,262 shares during the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 432,135 shares of the construction company's stock worth $16,460,000 after buying an additional 51,003 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Willdan Group by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 419,319 shares of the construction company's stock worth $15,972,000 after buying an additional 49,217 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Willdan Group by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 296,398 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $11,293,000 after buying an additional 1,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in Willdan Group by 136.0% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 208,059 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $7,925,000 after acquiring an additional 119,888 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Willdan Group Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:WLDN traded down $0.42 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $84.88. 416,852 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 180,357. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 1.61. Willdan Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.43 and a 12 month high of $86.25. The business's 50-day moving average price is $66.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $48.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.20 and a beta of 1.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Willdan Group in a report on Thursday, July 10th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willdan Group

In related news, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.11, for a total transaction of $1,202,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 200,981 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,669,195.91. This trade represents a 11.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas Donald Brisbin sold 22,459 shares of Willdan Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.34, for a total value of $1,175,504.06. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 422,454 shares in the company, valued at $22,111,242.36. The trade was a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 100,000 shares of company stock worth $4,994,075. Company insiders own 8.60% of the company's stock.

Willdan Group Profile

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.